Zhao Wenzheng will soon be 15 years old. According to the regulations of the royal family of the State of Chen, the prince can get married when he is 14 years old.
Zhao Wenzheng's marriage was delayed due to the palace change last year and various affairs of the State of Chen later. Now that the biggest internal ghost, the cicada, has been eliminated, it's time to put the matter of choosing a concubine on the agenda.
"So it is. I congratulate the emperor." Yu Ruyan said with a smile.
Zhao Wenzheng sighed: "There's nothing to congratulate. Just do your routine. Go back first. You must attend my wedding."
"I will obey your order." Yu Ruyan withdrew from the Dongnuan Pavilion.
Watching Yu Ruyan leaving behind, Zhao Wenzheng's eyes flashed a cold.
When Xiaomuzi came in with tea, Zhao Wenzheng coldly ordered, "Xiaomuzi, that matter can be handled now."
"Yes, I will do it now." Little Muzi answered.
"Master, you must not hate me." Zhao Wenzheng murmured, "I do this for the sake of Chen."
The emperor of the State of Chen elects concubines. Among the children and relatives of officials above the third rank in the State of Chen, women who are over 14 years old, unmarried and dignified can participate in the election. Local prefectures can also recommend women to run for election, but Zhao Wenzheng does not want to waste money and labor, so people do not choose, only select the best among the official women.
After nearly ten days of primary election and selection in the Ministry of Rites, 30 women met the criteria for candidacy.
Shortly after Zhao Wenzheng first ascended the throne, it was inappropriate to choose concubines in a large scale. If there were so many people in the harem, the financial expenditure would also increase. After much thought, Zhao Wenzheng chose six more excellent women from thirty women to be his empresses.
However, Zhao Wenzheng hesitated to be the queen.
The majority of the people in the court hoped that Lin Qingqing, the granddaughter of the Duke Protector, would be the successor. Lin Qingqing is the best candidate for the queen because of her dignified appearance, reasonable knowledge and prominent family background.
In addition, Du Miaoyin, the daughter of the Minister of Household, is also a favorable competitor for the position of Queen. Du Miaoyin has a natural beauty and is proficient in poetry, painting and zither. She is very famous among the famous ladies in Beijing.
However, a shocking rumor gradually spread in Beijing.
As for the candidate for the empress, Zhao Wenzheng does not want to be Yilin Qingqing, nor does he want to be Du Miaoyin. Instead, he hopes to set up a cabinet of university scholars like Yu Ruyan as the queen!
The rumor first spread among the people, and then gradually flowed into the court. Because Zhao Wenzheng has been slow to determine the candidate for the Queen, most people believe in the matter of three points, but now most people also believe in seven or eight points.
Rumors caused quite a stir in the court, and even an imperial historian impeached Yu Ruyan in the court: "When reading the book of sages, a great scholar should also know etiquette, righteousness and shame. In public, the great scholar is a courtier, the emperor is the son of heaven, and the emperor is a minister. In private, the great scholar is the emperor's teacher, and the teacher and disciple are still in the same moral integrity. How can you do such delusions?"
Yu Ruyan relentlessly retorted: "The flow of pills ends at Ou Shi, and the rumours end at the wise men. Believe the rumours with no evidence. Why did the Imperial Historian impeach me?"
"Hum, as a female scholar, female officials have violated the etiquette and law, and now..."
"How's it going?" Yu Ruyan interrupted him angrily, "I don't know how to be shameless and delusional, do I? This officer, I didn't want to......"
"That's enough!" Zhao Wenzheng shouted, "Women's Day is the most important. It is said that such words will make people laugh!"
Another imperial historian impeached him and said, "Your Majesty, there is something wrong with the moral integrity of university scholars, and they really do not deserve to stand in court."
"What are you talking about?" Yu Ruyan asked coldly.
"Master, your relationship with Mr. Tang is well known in the capital." The imperial historian said, "The unmarried man and the unmarried woman are not married. They live in the same room every day. It's really shameless."
Yu Ruyan's eyebrows turned upside down and wanted to attack, but when she looked up and saw Zhao Wenzheng's gloomy face, she sneered and snorted: "Lord Zhang really can see others' black, but can't see her own black. You were caught by your wife when you went to the brothel a few days ago, and it was widely known that everyone knew about it. Who was shameless at the end?"
"You..."
"Don't scholars blush when they say this?"
Yu Ruyan raised her eyebrows and asked, "What does Lord Wu mean?"
"Hum, when you were a young woman, you unexpectedly became the chief fu of the State of Chen. I don't know what kind of ghosts and demons you used. A few years ago, there was a rumor in the capital that you were not clear with the former emperor."
Yu Ruyan raised her voice and shouted, "Dare! How dare you insult the former emperor?"
Xiao Feiqing also defended Yu Ruyan and said, "Two adults, the former emperor worked hard to select talented people. The college students are women, but they have made great contributions to Chen Guoli. You can't help but disrespect the former emperor and the emperor!"
Zhao Wenzheng was a little impatient and shouted, "Shut up! Go back!"
The parting in discord in the court spread to the people like wolves and tigers.
These days, people in the capital seem to have been affected by the plague. They have described Yu Ruyan's relationship with the emperor, the late emperor, and Tang Yunluo in a terrible way. In just a few days, Yu Ruyan's reputation has been damaged by more than half.
What's more, they threw eggs and vegetable leaves in front of the university mansion, and wrote vicious words on the wall to attack Yu Ruyan. The cloud house next door was also implicated. Yu Ruyan had to take leave and did not go to court.
Yu Ruyan was surprised by Tang Yunluo's performance. One day, she giggled as if she didn't care what outsiders said or did.
"Yunluo, do you really have no doubt?" Yu Ruyan couldn't help asking, taking the chance to play chess with Tang Yunluo.
Tang Yunluo stared at the chessboard and asked, "What do you doubt?"
Yu Ruyan struggled for a while before she said, "Recently, there has been a rumor about my moral integrity in the capital. I'm afraid that people will speak of gold and cause you to leave..."
Tang Yunluo interrupted, "You said it was a rumor, so why bother with it?"
"But I also implicated you." Yu Ruyan said with some guilt.
Tang Yun sighed, put down the chess pieces, and looked at Yu Ruyan unhappily until she lowered her head with a red face. Then she said, "What is the trouble? I wish you would trouble me! When the autumn tiger was fierce, I was too lazy to go out, and I didn't want you to go to court in the sun. Now it's not good. Who can be more leisurely than us?"
"When things go wrong, people are comfortable, and their hearts are also comfortable. Since ancient times, everything is difficult to achieve, and good things also go with luck, and Lai also goes with luck." Tang Yun laughed, "encourage your wife."
Yu Ruyan was amused, and the cloud that pressed on her heart disappeared. When she became a female official, she was criticized by the outside world. Now why care about those rumors?
Xiao Feiqing, Yang Chuting, Chu Yang and others tried every means to tell Zhao Wenzheng that they wanted Zhao Wenzheng to elect an imperial concubine as soon as possible and clean up Yu Ruyan's reputation. Zhao Wenzheng held back for several days before deciding that Lilin Qingqing was the queen, Du Miaoyin was the virtuous princess, and the other four were Zhaoyi, Zhaorong, Jieyu and Meiren according to their mother's status. Even though Zhao Wenzheng became the empress and established the imperial concubine, he did not suppress the rumors in Beijing. Instead, things became more and more popular. At this time, Yu Ruyan in Beijing could be said to have lost her reputation.
Many ministers have submitted letters of impeachment, hoping that Zhao Wenzheng would punish Yu Ruyan severely. Zhao Wenzheng rejected it on the grounds that the wedding was imminent and it was not appropriate to punish meritorious officials severely.
After the Emperor of the State of Chen married his concubine, the whole country was immersed in the joy of the emperor's wedding. Although Zhao Wenzheng's wedding was hasty, it was also grand. Unfortunately, Yu Ruyan didn't go to the palace to have a wedding party as agreed, but played chess with Tang Yunluo at home.
"Ru'er, today's emperor's wedding is also a big day. Why don't we borrow this joy?" Tang Yunluo suggested.
Yu Ruyan tilted her head and asked, "How can I borrow happiness?"
Tang Yunluo takes Yu Ruyan's hand, looks her in the eyes carefully and asks, "Ru'er, let me ask you, would you like to marry me, Tang Yunluo?"
Yu Ruyan was stunned for a moment. She still blushed and nodded slightly.
Tang Yunluo smiled and said, "In that case, let's get engaged tonight."
"Engagement?" Yu Ruyan asked, "How to make an engagement?"
Tang Yun looked out of the window and said, "The Mid Autumn Festival is coming, and the moon is like a silver plate. There is a pot of hibiscus flowers in the courtyard that is about to blossom. Let's use the moon as a proof and the flowers as a medium to decide our marriage. When you resign, we will return to Jincheng. I will definitely write three books and six ceremonies, and eight lift the big sedan chair to marry you back."
Yu Ruyan was moved and shook Tang Yunluo's hand, saying, "Well, Yunluo, we use the moon as evidence and flowers as a medium."
Tang Yunluo took Yu Ruyan by the hand, came to the courtyard, knelt down to the moonlight, and said, "With the moon as evidence and flowers as a medium, I, Tang Yunluo, would like to join hands with Yu Ruyan in this life and get a wife like this, so I don't want any more."
Yu Ruyan also knelt down to the moon and swore: "With the moon as the evidence and flowers as the medium, I, Yu Ruyan, belong to Tang Yunluo all my life
Tang Yunluo touched the bracelet on Yu Ruyan's wrist and said, "This is the treasure of the Tang Clan, and I gave it to you at the beginning. Let's take it as a gift."
"Good." Yu Ruyan said with a smile.
"Ruer." Tang Yunluo helped Yu Ruyan to stand up, shook her hand and said softly, "I want you to promise me something."
Yu Ruyan nodded and said, "Tell me."
Tang Yunluo took a deep look at Yu Ruyan, bit her lip and said, "Ru'er, trust me, I will never leave you. Even if I leave temporarily, please wait for me. I will come back and stay with you."